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Topic: KTBH Question Regarding Building Comb (Read 3215 times)

Complete newbee here. Is it natural for bees to build brood comb near the entrance of the hive, and will a follower board be necessary to get them to build where I want them to? Can you manipulate where they build by simply moving the brood where you want them? I am very close to obtaining some bees after finding a local who has some Russians that are running out of room in his langstroth, and want to be prepared what to expect if and when they swarm. By the looks of what I saw today, it could be very soon. He claims that in twelve years he's never lost a hive, so sounds like I might get some good bees if this all pans out.

You can't make they build where you want them to. You can stack the deck, maybe. Yes brood will atract them and they will tend to build comb from the brood nest out. But what is your point? What is your goal?

I'm trying to organize the bees from brood at the entrance to honey reserves toward the back. I think I assumed more than anything this is how the bees would react, and I'm sure I've got it all wrong, heh.

I built my hive following your KTBH plans, using pine furring strips that are just under 1.5" width with chamfer molding as comb guides. The guy I'm hopefully getting the swarm from was saying he didn't think there was any way the swarm would stay, but I could tell he didn't like the idea of anything other than langstroths. When I told him I was going to put the swarm in a bucket and transfer them to a hive he looked at me kind of strangely.

> I'm trying to organize the bees from brood at the entrance to honey reserves toward the back.

Why?

> I think I assumed more than anything this is how the bees would react, and I'm sure I've got it all wrong, heh.

The bees will do whatever they want...

>I built my hive following your KTBH plans, using pine furring strips that are just under 1.5" width with chamfer molding as comb guides. The guy I'm hopefully getting the swarm from was saying he didn't think there was any way the swarm would stay, but I could tell he didn't like the idea of anything other than langstroths. When I told him I was going to put the swarm in a bucket and transfer them to a hive he looked at me kind of strangely.

Bees will live in an old dried up gas tank... why wouldn't they live in a nice wood house?

I've got my hive set and level, ready for bees. My Dad kept bees years ago, so I'm headed there this weekend to pick up two veils and a smoker. I really hope I get a call in the next couple of days about a swarm...the anticipation is killing me.

I think the bees will set up their hive the way that they feel is best, most practical, most efficient, safest (whatever their guidelines are). In my hives, the broodnest has always been near the entrance, the stores in the back (my entrances are on one end of the topbars).

I remember the urge to orchestrate things last year (my first year) and now humbly realize they know far, far better than I.

Good luck!

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The pedigree of honey Does not concern the bee; A clover, any time, to him Is aristocracy. ---Emily Dickinson

Thank you all for the answers and encouragement. I have had no luck in obtaining bees after contacting beekeepers and being put on swarm lists. I'm starting to think my wait is going to extend in to next year, to my dissappointment. I really do not want to buy package bees next year as I would like to start with strong bees, not genetically altered ones. When I started thinking about keeping bees a few years back, I was intrigued by Michael Bush's feral queens and had actually discussed requeening with the idea if I had to buy package bees, I could alter the gene pool in this manner. How long does it take for a colony of bees after requeening to alter the colonies' genetic makeup completely?

With a new queen, in 2 to 4 months the entire population of the hive will change to the queen's genetics...if that is what you are wondering. When you buy packages, they just shake a bunch of bees into a cage to get the hive started and the comb built and give you a queen in a cage which may or may not be the same type as the workers in the cage. My queens were carnies, but the workers in the cage were italians. It took a few months for them to all start looking like the queen.

With a new queen, in 2 to 4 months the entire population of the hive will change to the queen's genetics...if that is what you are wondering. When you buy packages, they just shake a bunch of bees into a cage to get the hive started and the comb built and give you a queen in a cage which may or may not be the same type as the workers in the cage. My queens were carnies, but the workers in the cage were italians. It took a few months for them to all start looking like the queen.

Yeah, mine too. I don't think I've had mine long enough yet to see the hatched bees progress all the way out the door to foraging. It will be fun to watch them turn darker...

Logged

The pedigree of honey Does not concern the bee; A clover, any time, to him Is aristocracy. ---Emily Dickinson

With a new queen, in 2 to 4 months the entire population of the hive will change to the queen's genetics...if that is what you are wondering. When you buy packages, they just shake a bunch of bees into a cage to get the hive started and the comb built and give you a queen in a cage which may or may not be the same type as the workers in the cage. My queens were carnies, but the workers in the cage were italians. It took a few months for them to all start looking like the queen.

Looks like I may go this route then. Can anyone recommend a good place to buy from? Anyone that ships for a reasonable price?